Villar San Costanzo
Encyclopedia
Villar San Costanzo is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Cuneo
in the Italian
region Piedmont
, located about 70 km southwest of Turin
and about 15 km northwest of Cuneo
. As of 31 August 2007, it had a population of 1,474 and an area of 19.5 km².
Sights to see in Villar San Costanzo include the natural reserve known as Ciciu del Villar; the Abbey built in early 700 AD; and the very ancient church of San Costanzo al Monte, a stunning example of Romanesque-Gothic architecture dating back to the 12th century. The town takes its name from Saint Constantius
, a soldier of the Theban Legion
, who is said to have been beheaded at the spot now occupied by the sanctuary of San Costanzo al Monte. The local geologic formation known as Ciciu del Villar, which are columns formed by natural erosion, was connected with Constantius' legend: the stones are said to be the Roman soldiers sent to kill him, who were miraculously petrified before they could harm the saint.
Villar San Costanzo borders the following municipalities: Busca
, Dronero
, Roccabruna
and Valmala
.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(municipality) in the Province of Cuneo
Province of Cuneo
ayr is a province in the southwest of the Piedmont region of Italy. To the west it borders on the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur ....
in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, located about 70 km southwest of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
and about 15 km northwest of Cuneo
Cuneo
Cuneo is a city and comune in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the third largest of Italy’s provinces by area...
. As of 31 August 2007, it had a population of 1,474 and an area of 19.5 km².
Sights to see in Villar San Costanzo include the natural reserve known as Ciciu del Villar; the Abbey built in early 700 AD; and the very ancient church of San Costanzo al Monte, a stunning example of Romanesque-Gothic architecture dating back to the 12th century. The town takes its name from Saint Constantius
Constantius (Theban Legion)
Saint Constantius is venerated as a member of the legendary Theban Legion. Similar to the cults of Saint Chiaffredo at Crissolo, Saint Bessus at Val Soana, Saint Tegulus at Ivrea, Saint Magnus at Castelmagno, and Saint Dalmatius at Borgo San Dalmazzo, the cult of Saint Constantius was linked with...
, a soldier of the Theban Legion
Theban Legion
The Theban Legion figures in Christian hagiography as an entire Roman legion — of "six thousand six hundred and sixty-six men" — who had converted en masse to Christianity and were martyred together, in 286, according to the hagiographies of Saint Maurice, the chief among the Legion's...
, who is said to have been beheaded at the spot now occupied by the sanctuary of San Costanzo al Monte. The local geologic formation known as Ciciu del Villar, which are columns formed by natural erosion, was connected with Constantius' legend: the stones are said to be the Roman soldiers sent to kill him, who were miraculously petrified before they could harm the saint.
Villar San Costanzo borders the following municipalities: Busca
Busca
Busca is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km southwest of Turin and about 15 km northwest of Cuneo...
, Dronero
Dronero
Dronero is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km southwest of Turin and about 15 km northwest of Cuneo at the entrance of the Valle Maira.-Main sights:...
, Roccabruna
Roccabruna
Roccabruna is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km southwest of Turin and about 20 km northwest of Cuneo...
and Valmala
Valmala
Valmala is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km southwest of Turin and about 25 km northwest of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 61 and an area of 11.0 km²....
.